Man Who Helped Save America From Financial Armageddon Is Running For Office

Neel Kashkari, one of the main operatives of the bank rescue TARP
(and therefore one of the men who helped save America from
financial Armageddon) is leaving PIMCO, and running for office,
according to Dealbook.

It's not clear what office he'll run for, except that it will be
in California, and it will be as a Republican.

Frankly, if someone at the heart of TARP can entertain a run for
office without being totally laughed out of the room, that tells
you a lot about how America has gotten over the crisis.

Of course, any run will inevitably bring out a replay of some of
his most infamous moments, including when he was asked by a
Congressman during a hearing: "Is Kashkari a chump?"

Neel moved to Silicon Valley in 2002 where he worked for Goldman Sachs, helping entrepreneurs raise
capital to grow their companies and create jobs, giving him
firsthand experience with the critical role small businesses play
in our economy and the challenges they face in
California.

Following his work in Washington, Neel returned to California in
2009 where he became Managing Director and Head of Global
Equities at PIMCO, a firm that helps thousands of Americans meet
their retirement goals, including teachers, firefighters, and
other public employees. He recently left PIMCO to pursue his
passion for public service.

Neel resides in Orange County with his two giant Newfoundlands,
Winslow and Newsome.

In 2006, his desire to contribute to public policy brought him to
Washington, D.C. to join the United States Treasury Department as
Senior Advisor to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. Neel’s
initial work at Treasury brought experts from across the
government and private sectors together to craft policies to
encourage alternative energy sources that would enhance both
national security and environmental sustainability, ultimately
leading to Congress passing the Energy Independence and Security
Act, which President Bush signed into law on December 19,
2007.

When the financial crisis erupted Neel spearheaded the Treasury
Department’s response. He was confirmed as Assistant Secretary of
the Treasury by the U.S. Senate in July 2008 and worked with both
Republican and Democratic lawmakers to write and pass the
Emergency Economic Stabilization
Act. Once the law was
enacted, Neel established and led the Office of Financial
Stability, working with experts from across the government,
non-profit and private sectors to design and implement solutions
to stem the economic crisis. Although appointed by
President Bush, the Obama Administration asked Neel to remain
at Treasury and continue leading the response until the crisis
had been stabilized. The programs he oversaw helped rescue
the U.S. economy and auto sector at minimum cost to the taxpayers
(investments in banks and insurance companies even returned an
estimated profit to taxpayers of $46 billion). For his leadership
Neel was given the Alexander Hamilton Award, the Treasury
Department’s highest honor.